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Off to a Flying Start!
Supporting student transition
Helen Howard
Skills@Library Team Leader
University of Leeds
What is Flying Start?What have we found out about student transition?
What are the key findings for all of us supporting transition?
Flying Start
Aims to raise undergraduate student awareness of the importance of building a foundation of academic skills to enhance their studies and improve their grades and employability
An online interactive resource for students making the transition to University, available prior to their arrival, with general content and School-specific information
Content divided into:o General (for
everyone)o School-specific
2011
Pilot year: 11 schools
2,417 visits
1,513 unique visitors
2012Rolled-out: 34
schools
12,552 visits
6,363 unique visitors
2013
Repeated: 34 schools
7,808 visits
5,559 unique visitors
Our findings about student transition to University
• Pre-development researchoSurvey and focus groups with year 12/13 studentsoSurvey of first year undergraduate students
• Feedback from users
What is your biggest concern about going to university?
Finance “not having enough money” 44%
Meeting new people / fitting in
“not getting along with people I’m living with”
15%
Not doing well “failing”, “it being too hard” 15%
Lack of ability / not coping
“struggling academically” 34%
Meeting new people / fitting in
“being able to find myself comfortable there”
27%
Financial worries “my finances and expenses” 7%
Year 12 /13 students
UG students with no FS
What is the biggest difference between study at school & university?
Independent learning “I will be expected to organise myself” 53%
Greater volume of work
“the amount of work required outside lessons / lectures”
15%
Style of teaching “the amount of contact time & how it is used” 15%
Independent learning “the expectation to know where and how to find relevant info and resources”
34%
Self-motivation and time management
“lots of free time for me to manage” 14%
Writing, reading and critical thinking skills
“the need for strong essay responses, nuanced arguments, originality, referencing”
10%
Year 12 /13 students
UG students with no FS
What 3 things would be useful to know before you arrive? Course format Structure, timetables, assessment 43%
Finance Budgeting, fees, debt 41%
How to succeed Support on offer, how to develop skills, avoiding plagiarism
30%
The need to be an independent learner
“how much work you have to do by yourself” 14%
How to make the most of resources (VLE, Library)
“the basic skills to study such as how to use the Library”
13%
How to make the most of time here (study / social)
“you need to actively learn from lectures and for this you need certain skills”
11%
Year 12 /13 students
UG students with no FS
What do you wish you had known?
Meeting people, conversation skills
Time management, online resources, reading lists
Feedback, assessment, groupwork, exams
Research skills, using the Library
What is referencing, and avoiding plagiarism
Types of contact, lectures, note-taking
Being an effective learner, reflection
Our findings about student transition to University
• Pre-development research• Feedback from users
o3 surveys (immediately after use)o1 post-use survey (Easter)o1 non-user focus group
What did you find most useful?
Independent learning & study skills, esp.
referencing & plagiarism
Making the grade: feedback & assessment
Student videos: hearing directly about
their experiences
Contact time & making most of lectures
What did you think was missing?
Practical info: what to bring, issues around
accommodation
More fun / interactive activities
Local info: the city, University, buildings &
setting
Experiences: students sharing their
experiences / typical day or week
More promotion and reminders to use it
Would you recommend we produce a similar resource for next year’s students?
96.8%2011
98.5%2012
98.3%2013
“I felt I was at an advantage over those who had not accessed it. I had a headstart in understanding referencing, plagiarism, using the Library etc.” (Healthcare student, 2013 survey)
Key findings and 7 suggestions for all of us supporting transition
Key findings and suggestions
Students get an overwhelming amount of information during transition and induction
Getting information beforehand is useful and prepares themToo much information is off-puttingDrip-feeding is good if you can
Key findings and suggestions
Students miss information / links which get sent to them
Promotion through all available channels is keyReminders are usefulUsing social media can help
Key findings and suggestions
Format and resources should be engaging
Visual images help students know what to expectVideos are generally popularContent shouldn’t feel heavy but fun!
Key findings and suggestions
Settling in generally (not just in terms of study) is important
Use examples / images of social aspects and local settings These can support learning or study-related contentCollaborate with other University sections engaging with
students during transition
Key findings and suggestions
Content in transition resources can be useful through the year
Keep content available for students after they arrive at University
Attitudes and priorities change as they settle in and understand the context better
Key findings and suggestions
Tone, voice and level of the resource is important
Using current students to deliver information is appreciatedResources which are too basic or patronising are off-
putting
Key findings and suggestions
Content which is new to the user is the most useful
In this context, content related to the step up to studying at the HE level was the most popular
Explain unfamiliar terms / phrases or those used differently in the HE context
Students sharing their own experiences gets the message across
What do we do next?
Run again for 2014 new students
Review for 2015, adding new elements, in particular student experience videos
See how we can collaborate with others
in the University to bring transition
information together
Questions or Comments?
Skills@Libraryhttp://library.leeds.ac.uk/skills
Click new students tab for list of all Flying Start sites